Work

Enhanced visible-light degradation and mineralization of bisphenol A using Cu-doped TiO2 photocatalysts: characterization, effectiveness, mechanism and DFT insights

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: This study reports a new visible light-driven strategy for the degradation and mineralization of bisphenol A (BPA) using copper-doped TiO 2 photocatalysts. BPA is an emerging contaminant of significant environmental and health concern. A series of Cu-doped TiO 2 catalysts with varying copper contents was synthesized via the sol-gel method and characterized using XPS, XRD, SEM-EDS, N 2 physisorption, and UV-vis spectroscopy to evaluate their structural, morphological, and optical properties. Results confirmed that copper incorporation enhanced visible-light absorption and improved electron-hole pair separation, resulting in enhanced photocatalytic activity and stability. The band gap energy decreased with increasing copper content, from 2.97 eV for pure TiO 2 to 2.88, 2.41, and 2.28 eV for 1%, 5%, and 10% Cu-TiO 2 , respectively, as validated by Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations. Among all prepared materials, Cu(5%)-TiO 2 exhibited the best photocatalytic performance, outperforming both pure TiO 2 and other Cu-TiO 2 variants. Under optimal conditions (5 mg/L BPA, pH 7, and 1 g/L catalyst dosage), 96.2% BPA removal and 77.9% mineralization were achieved. The catalyst maintained excellent reusability over four successive cycles with minimal activity loss. Scavenger experiments identified photogenerated holes (h + ) and hydroxyl radicals (OH • ) as the main reactive species. UHPLC-MS analysis enabled the identification of intermediate products and the proposal of a plausible BPA degradation pathway. Furthermore, Cu(5%)-TiO 2 showed high degradation efficiency for other emerging pollutants and across different water matrices, demonstrating its potential for sustainable industrial wastewater treatment applications.

Source: Water Resources and Industry

DOI: 10.1016/j.wri.2025.100335